Make sure the pump is rotating in the correct direction, misrouting the serpentine belt could cause it to run backwards

Bob

 

Make sure the pump is rotating in the correct direction, misrouting the serpentine belt could cause it to run backwards

Bob

Thanks Bob, but unless I am wrong I could not possibly see how you could get it wrong, as I cannot see how it would fit any other way. But I did check that just to be sure because I thought it could happen also at first.

Mark

 

you might not have it wrong they might have sold you the wrong one

 

I only suggested that because there is a warning in the FSM relating to belt misrouting and improper cooling, there is also a possibility that it is the wrong pump and the impeller is turning the wrong way

Bob

 

hmm, yeah Bob that could be true about being the wrong one. I did have them open three boxes when I returned it to look them over. They all looked the same. By the way what direction should the pump turn when installed looking at it from the front?

Thanks, Mark

 

what year and engine,? I have some FSM's if I have the one for your engine I will look it up

Bob

 

my name is rex and i said it could be the wrong one.
when standing in front it should turn counter clock wise.
my screen name is ch4012000
my email is adcock_vinyl@bellsouth.net

 

All water pumps built for 2nd gen engines (3.9, 5.2, 5.9) turn counterclockwise. The vanes on the impeller will be curved. If the pump was built by Airtex, or Mopar, there is no way it could have the wrong impeller on it, as they all use a 12mm shaft like the o.e. does. The Airtex p/n is AW7160.

Most likely, unless the pump was truely defective (impeller slipping on shaft, etc), there was still air in your system. Sometime you might think you've got all the air out, when in reality you don't. If when you put the next pump on, if it still runs a little warm, jack up the front end, or park up hill to get the rad cap as hi as possible & then re-check it.
Lot-o-luck,
Mike Sal

 

BTW, the older engines which had clockwise rotation pumps (V belts) used impellers with straight vanes & 5/8" shafts.
Mike Sal

 

what year and engine,? I have some FSM's if I have the one for your engine I will look it up

Bob

Its a 97 Ram 318................


Mark

 

Just a thought

Is the truck actually running hot? Did you varify the coolant temp with a scan tool or thermometer? You might have an indicated overheat, not actual high coolant temperature. A bad sensor? Good Luck. Mike

 

Is the truck actually running hot? Did you varify the coolant temp with a scan tool or thermometer? You might have an indicated overheat, not actual high coolant temperature. A bad sensor? Good Luck. Mike

No I do not have a scan tool. I did however change the waterpump again today. It is still doing the same thing. If I just let it sit and idle it will not climb past 190-200. If I drive the truck it will climb to approximately 240 or a little better. I am definately at a loss now because I have did everything I can think of. I am open for suggestions so please help........ All this mess started when I changed the waterpump in the first place the other one worked fine, but was just rattling.

Mark

 

There is air in the system. The two fixes I know of are:
1) drill a small hole in the t-stat
2) fill the radiator which will fill the motor up to the back side of the t-stat. Then take
the top hose loose from the radiator, fill it w/ coolant, and slam it back on as fast
as you can.

Hope this helps.

 

I did forget one thing to tell when I changed the waterpump. I also changed the lower hose since it looked shabby. One difference in it and the original was it did not have a spring inside it like the one that was on it. Is this normal? Could the hose be collapsing when I am driving causing this overheating problem?

Mark

 

A missing spring can certainly cause overheating if you drive agressively. The hose will collapse under hi-pressure delta situations (closed t-stat & hi rev's). I assume you got a smooth hose (the bellows shaped ones won't collapse as easily).

If you still have the old hose, steal the spring out of it & put it into your new hose. Be careful to wind it it so that it's still round.

We used to see cylinder head failures in big block chevy boats be cause the owners would start them up & run wide open accross the lake before the t-stat had a chance to open. The water pump would suck so hard that it would draw the spring right up out of the hose & the hose would collapse. Then when they backed off the throttle, the hose would open back up & a slug of cold water would get into the hot motor & it would crack the heads or manifolds.
Mike Sal

 

Well guys I am still at a loss. I searched everywere today for a hose with the spring and none are available around here. I would take the old spring out but its in real bad shape. I am not sure this is whats happening anyways. I did today try to burp the system and got no results. I have a 180 thermo, new pump, and still when driving with the air on I get to 210-240 degrees.

Mark

 

do you have a manuel or electric fan

 

I know its new but maybe you got a bad thermostat. Also verify that the fan clutch is still good.

 

I have a manual fan (clutch fan) the best I can tell its working fine. It sure is pulling air when sitting at a idle. As far as the thermostat I can see when it opens and temp drops. Its not until I drive the truck that I begin to see a temp. rise.

Mark

 

I am with Mike Sa .... if you do not have the spring in the lower hose it will collapse ... Hence the part about idling it doesnt overheat but when you drive it overheat's which means it is pulling coolant around and sucking the lower hose to collapse causing your truck to overheat.

 

Fan Clutch Test

Mark,
With the motor cold, and off grab one of the fan blades and give it a good spin. It shouldn't spin more than 180 degrees, if that. Mine would seem to be working, but when it was suppose to enguage it would just freewheel. Do you see any signs of leakage from the fan? I'm assuming it's a viscous type fan. Hope it helps. Mike

 

I am at a loss, anyways I flushed the radiator tonight and will refill and try again tomorrow afternoon. I have a electric fan I bought and may install it tomorrow if time allows. That will atleast tell me whether the clutch fan is bad or not. It does not seem to be but who knows.

Mark

 

I had a very similar problem to yours on a 1993 S-10 Blazer about 4 years ago. My water pump had a leak and I replaced it. After replacing the water pump, it did not leak any more, but it would indicate (on the gauge) that it was running hot, although it never actually ran hot (steam coming out of the radiator, etc.). I then took it to a very reputable radiator shop and they did a flush on the system, and couldn't find anything wrong with the cooling system, although it still showed that it was overheating and suggested that either the sensor was bad, or the gauge. I replaced my coolant sensor-did not help. I then bought an aftermarket sensor and gauge, ran it through the firewall, and had the same problem.

As a last resort, I removed the water pump again. I then found my problem-when I had put the sealant on the flange, I had put way too much. When I bolted the pump onto the engine, it compressed this sealant even more to the point that it squeezed in and covered one of my flow ports (the one that flowed coolant to the area where the sensor was located). After I cleaned the sealant off and fixed my mistake, the guage showed that it was cooling perfectly. I'm not sure why the radiator shop didn't remove the pump and find this.

I know that this may not be your problem, but it is definitely worth a look. I have included a hand drawn pic of my problem, hopefully for a better description of what happened to me.

Good luck-I know it is frustrating, but it can be fixed!